Engine-starter.



J. E. SANDESON ENGINE STARIERL APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1917-.

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Arm/25 Patented Nov; 20, 191?.

JAMES EDWARD SANDESON, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

Application filed May 17, 1917. Serial No. 169,247.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. SANDESON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved engine starter of the mechanical type, designed especially for use on internal combustion engines, and while the invention is herein illustrated and adapted for use to an automobile engine, and is hereinafter described and referred to in connection with an automobile, it will be understood that my invention is equally applicable to internal combustion engines of gas motors of numerous other types and uses.

.The primary object of the invention is the production of an engine starter for motors of this character which is comparatively inexpensive of production, simple in construction, facile and quick in operation, and durable, and operable either by manual manipulation, or by the use of fluid motive power.

The invention consists essentially in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts adapted to and connected with the engine shaft of the motor which it is to start, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed and arranged according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention, but it is apparent that changes and alterations may be made, if desired or required, to suit different circumstances, without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of an automobile motor and connections, as is necessary to indicate the relationship therewith, and installation of the engine starter of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the operating parts of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the inner faces of the operating sprocket and pinion, the engine shaft and the stud shaft of the sprocket-gear wheel being in section.

vention as shown in the drawings, I have depicted a portion of the motor and connections of an automobile, sufficient to give acloar understanding of the installation of my device to existing cars of standard type, and the starting device for the motor 1 is to be operated from the front seat of the automobile by means of an air controlling valve, located preferably adjacent to the steeringwheel where it is convenient and accessible for the driver.

As in most starters, my device is designed to turn over the engine shaft 2, and for this purpose I attach ,to the shaft a small pinion 3 which is fashioned with a stud shaft 4 provided with circumfer'entially arranged notches 5 into either of which'the drop key 6, carried in the socket 7 of the hub 8, may drop and couple the pinion with the stud shaft. A coupling sleeve 9 is fitted and fi'xed to the stud shaft by means of the pin 10, and this sleeve, which projects beyond the end of the stud shaft, may be slipped over the end of the engine shaft 2 and secured thereon by means of the set bolt 11. Thus the stud shaft is rigidly connected with the engine shaft and the pinion may revolve the engine shaft clockwise through the interposition of the drop key 6 and I after the engine is started and running, the pinion 3 of course remains idle, as the dro key is forced out of engagement with t e stud shaft by the action of the shaft as it revolves.

The, engine shaft is revolved through the instrumentality of the pinion by means of the sprocket wheel 12 which is loosely journaled on the fixed stud shaft 13 supported by a bracket as 14 either from the engine or a supporting frame, as desired. The sprocket wheel is fashioned with internal teeth 15 meshing with the pinion 3, and the sprocket is driven by action of. the sprocket chain 16 passin around the sprocket wheel and over a sma ler sprocket wheel 17 fixed on the actuating shaft 18 journaled in brackets 19 shown on the engine casing. The upper sprocket wheel 17 is located just above the engine and back of the radiator and the for'the driver who may start the engine by has a spring 27 the piston normally as shown in Fig. 5. At its outer free end the plunger rod is bifurturning the crank 20, to revolve the shaft 18'.

When using compressed air to actuatethe starter, however, and this is the normal mode of operating the starter, I utilize a cylinder 21 which is supplied with compressed air from the reservoir 22 through supply pipe 23, the supply being regulated by the valve 24:. This "valve is also conveniently located, adjacent to the steering wheel for ready access, and the starter is-\ controlled from this valve, by the drlver of the car.

Within the cylinder a piston head 25 is adapted to reciprocate, and the plunger rod 26, which is the, piston stemof the piston coiled thereabout to hold cated or forked and the pin or pivot member 28 passed through this forked end of the plunger also passes through the slot 29 in the lever 30 which is pivoted at 31 to a fixed supporting bracket to form the fulcrum for the lever. At its outer free end the lever is pivoted, as at 32 to the lever arm 33, and this arm is pivoted at 84 between two of the links of the chain 16. The lever is adapted to swing on its fulcrum as indicated by the dotted line and arrow in Fig. 2, and-this lever movement is accomplished by turning the valve 24. to permit flow of compressed air from the-reservoir 22 through pipe 23 and nozzle 23 into the cylinder 21. The pressure under the piston head lifts the piston and plunger to swing the lever on its a i e at convenient positions where they will be capable of performing their required functions. From the above description taken in connection with my drawings it is evident that I have provided a device which fulfils the conditions set forth as the object and purpose of my invention, and as before stated, these parts as disclosed are subject to re-arrangement, without departing from the spirit of my ap ended claim.

What I clai is llhe combination in'an engine starter of the class described with an engine shaft, of I a loose pinion and coupling means for revolving the shaft and pinion together, a sprocket wheel having an internal gear engaging the pinion and a sprocket chain and idle sprocket wheel for turning the sprocket wheel, a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston and spring-returned plunger rod, a slotted pivoted lever, and a lever arm pivoted at the free end of the lever and pivoted to the sprocket chain.

lln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES EDWARD SANDESON. 

